Vehicle-wheel.



J. -H. WATTBRS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 22, 1909.

960,460. I Patented June 7,1910.

/ To all whom it may concern:

JOHN nanny warns, on AUGUSTA, cnonom.

' VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June '7', 1910.

Application filed July 22, 1909. Serial No. 508,962.

Be it known that I, J OHN H. WA'ITERB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring wheels and has for its object the provision of a strong, durable and etficient wheel in which the rim will serve to cushion the wheel and prevent injury to the felly when traveling over rough roads, the rim being so, constructed that it will support the wheel at both top and bottom.

With this object and other incidental objects in view, the invention consists in-certain novel features -of construction and arrangements which will be hereinafter first fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my present invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a wheel embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the rim showing a modified construction.

In carrying out my invention I employ a hub 1 having an annular flange 2 to which flange are bolted resilient disks or circular plates 3 which are spaced apart and are connected by bolts 4 in order that the tension of the disks or circular plat-es may be regulated as desired. The edges of the plates are deflected laterally so as to present the converging flanges 5,, and the diverging flanges 6 extending from the said converging flanges.

and is preferably formed of sheet metal having an inner annular head 8 which has converging sides 9 and is adapted to fit between the inner converging flanges 5 of the disk 3.

From the edges of these converging sides The rim 7 is fitted between the said flanges 5 and 6 of the resilient disks 40 walls 11 of the rim and projecting inward therefrom are yieldable ards 14 and extending inward beyond the converging flanges'5. of the disk so as to prevent the entrance of dirt or other foreign matter to the flanges and the rim.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that I have provided an hour glass form of construction at the rim of the wheel and as a result of this construction I furnish supports at both top and bottom of the Wheel. 'VVhen a load is placed on the wheel, the lower portion of the tire, being in contact with the ground, will be pushed upward so that the diver 'ng walls 10 of the rim will be caused to ear against the diverging-flanges 6 of the disks 3 and the rim will, consequently, be moved slightly up ward so that at the top of the wheel the diverging walls 9 of the rim will be thrown againstthe converging flanges 5-of the disks and, consequently, caused to bear against the same so as to aid in supporting the load. As the wheel revolves the relative positions of the rim and the flanges of the resilient disks will shift so that as the lower portion of the tire rises to the to of the wheel, the load will be transferred flanges of the disk and the outer walls of the rim, to the inner flanges of the disk and the inner walls of the rim.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the rim as being hollow and the tire as substantially V- shaped in cross section so as to entirely fill the outer portion of the rim. The tire, however, may be of less thickness so as to merely fit between the outer edges of the rim, as shown in Fig. 2, in which 15 designates the tire, and the rim may beconstructed with a solid inner portion, as indicated at 16 in Fig. 2, so as to reinforce the inner portion of the rim, as will be understood.

The device is extremely simple in its construction and efficient in operation. If so desired, a lubricant may be placed within the pockets formed by the flanges of the from the outer' disks and the guards 14 so as to make the movement of the rim upon the said flanges free and easy.

' Having thus described my invention, whab In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I claim is: ny own, I have hereto aflixed my slgnature l0 A wheel comprismg spacfid regihent disks in the presence of two Witnesses. 1 having their outer ed es s ape to present 5. converging annular fi anges and diverging JOHN HENRY WATTERS annular flanges at the edges thereof, and a I Witnesses: rim having a substantially. hour glassform Tnos. J. POPE,

- fitted between the said flanges of the disks. CARRIE F. SAssER. 

